About the book

Wil Patterson was just an ordinary working husband and father. Always one to make light of things, he was becoming increasingly desperate about how he was going to pay bills and keep up with all the latest things his family ‘had’ to have: the new cars, house renovation and beach house.

One day while at work for one of Australia's biggest financial institutions, opportunity presented itself to Wil in the form of a cheque addressed to someone with the same name. Wil knew it was wrong but the temptation was too great. Soon enough he found himself down at the bank cashing that cheque. After vowing ‘never again’, it wasn't too long before Wil's mounting debt meant he just could not resist ...

No Crime Goes Unpunished

No crime goes unpunished and Wil was eventually caught and charged and, to his horror, sentenced to 3 years in prison. Mr Ordinary Goes to Jail is Wil’s account of his time in a contemporary Victorian prison, the unusual characters he met, the often hilarious and terrifying situations he found himself in, and the ways in which he comes to terms with his past and forges a new, more hopeful future.

For anybody who has ever wondered how they would cope facing similar circustances or speculated what life is really like on the inside, Mr Ordinary Goes to Jail is a gripping and fascinating read.

Reviews for Mr Ordinary Goes To Jail

"Really interesting read and very honest account of how one mistake can multiply into a life changing event. Greed is not good, the writer learned that when you get caught the consequences are felt across your family and friends. He has a terrific outlook on life post jail and tells a compelling story that is brave and truthful."

5 Stars from LK276 - from Queensland

"Great story and what Wil recants about the Victorian prison system is intriguing and thoroughly gripping. I'm a "mr ordinary" as well and would be scared senseless if ever confronted with having to go to prison and Wil shares his thoughts and emotions at these moments with great clarity. I first listened to Wil's story on the Australian True Crime podcast with Emily Webb and Meshel Laurie and found Wil's story so interesting I had to buy his book. While Wil went through some tumultuous times I was glad to see that eventually he found the light at the end of the tunnel. I Read this book in one afternoon and the only con was the editing wasn't all that good. Many spelling and grammar errors and words missed or words where they shouldn't be. This is my only criticism though and would recommend this book to any fan of true crime as well as anyone like myself that is intrigued by the prison system in general."